Huzzah for the bully boys of New Hampsha'

I'm off this week to finish building the final bookcase of our library. Soon I'll be able to pose for (self-timed) photos of myself in front of an impressive collection of (other peoples) Civil War books. Look out Kevin Levin!

I'm taking a break from mismeasuring lumber and bending nails to put up a short post about recent events at the park.

Last weekend at Antietam National Battlefield 32 or so, living historians, portraying the 6th New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry provided demonstrations for visitors. Having half a company on hand to give loading and firing demonstrations, as well as rudimentary company-size manuvering was very instructive, also fun to watch.

And I, for one, was glad to be only watching. With temps in the high nineties and humidity to match, wearing a wool uniform in the blazing sunshine must have been miserable...hey, I think that was a teachable moment!

Here's some pics:

Mustering at Dunker Church.


Some pretty good impressions.


Visitor's really asked a lot of good questions.


The ever-watchful tower in the background.


Their very colorful color sergeant. I think the wrist and hand tattoos indicate previous service in the Union Navy.

Firing by ranks.


Hope to see them again next year.

Lots of good history,

just north of Sharpsburg

Ranger Mannie

What was wrong with that picture

Never have I gotten this many comments!

As many of you correctly observed, a 1926 Ford couldn't have shared space with the Dunker Church (in the background) as the Church had already blown down by then.

Mannie

A new website!

Harry Smeltzer and Brian Downey have cooked up a really fine website and online newsletter for SHAF - Save Historic Antietam Foundation. Do check it out at:

www.shaf.org (or click on the title of this posting)

Its very glossy (as they said back in the caveman days of print), very professional, and very informative.

This site deserves a good long look just as SHAF deserves your support. Without the fine folks of SHAF, Antietam National Battlefield would be hard-pressed to meet its mission. Committed preservationists at SHAF as well as other organizations, have helped to purchase, reclaim, and restore important portions of the battlefield. We are daily, greatful for their efforts on the behalf of the park as well as the nation.

A tip of the big Ranger hat to SHAF. I wish them and their new website a long and illustrious run!

Ranger Mannie

What's wrong with this picture?

Several times this spring and summer antique car clubs have visited Antietam National Battlefield. Every time I see these classic old cars touring the battlefield roads I'm reminded that this park has been a tourist destination practically since the smoke of battle first cleared, Lincoln being one of the first visitors.

Cars full of touring families have been coming here since the pioneering days of the automobiles and the sight of autos driving across Burnside Bridge was commonplace until the late 1950s.

I was out in the parking lot last week getting some photos of classic cars and I was struck by this image, of a collector and his 1926 Model T Ford (which I have retouched only slightly and changed to Black and White).





At first I was very taken with what could have been a typical scene in the early twentieth century, a visiting motorist doing repair work at the battlefield.

But on reflection, this scene could never have been photographed historically.

Why not?

You may find it helpful to click on the image to enlarge it.

Ranger Mannie

This post is hell, you cannot refine it

ACW blogger Dimitri Rotov brought to light a remarkably lame but fun site. I took the quiz and earlier this morning I supervised my wife as she tore up eleven miles of railroad track, tonite I shall lay waste to several brewskis.

The 45% Nathan Bedsheet Forrest does set my ethnicity slightly ajar.

Must go now, marching toward sea!

Ranger Mannie

You scored as William T. Sherman, One of the Union's greatest heroes, your capture of Atlanta helped guarantee Lincoln's re-election and the winning of the war. South of the Mason-Dixon, they think you're a monster, but you're really only a *little* crazy... William T. Sherman 75% General James Longstreet 60% Robert E. Lee 60% General Jeb Stuart 55% Stonewall Jackson 50% General George McClellan 50% U.S. Grant 50% General Nathan Bedford Forrest 45% General Ambrose Burnside 35% General Phillip Sheridan 5% Which American Civil War General are you? created with QuizFarm.com